Spark-plug.



H. E. RIDER.

SPARK PLUG. APPLxcATloN F|LEn-1uNEi,191.

Patnted Dem-11, 1917.

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Witlllllll l HEBERT E. lttfDElt, @E BHJUGJKLYN, NEW YRK, ASSlIGrNOlEt. BY .ASSIGNMEN "E EET il?. MEHR; will JAMES l; MURPHY, BOTH OlljNl'ilW YORK, N. Y.

intense.,

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Deco il, fil.,

application eine rane i, reir. senat rra irreali.

'i To all 'whom it 'may concern f ducing sparks by the interruption of an eleothe use of relatively movable tric circuit, which may be employed for various purposes, and the invention pertains privmarily to devices for igniting the enplosive charges in internal combustion engines of the hydrocarbon type in which, by electrodes, l prevent to as great an extent as possible the accumulation of the products of combustion or other foreign matter which might tend to produce a short circuit or to otherwise in terfere with the operation of the plug, the object of the invention being to improve, simplify and lower the cost of manufacture of the same.

To attain the desired end, the invention consists in the construction arrangement and operation of parts hereinafter set forth which may be easily 'and accurately assemlbled and also removed for cleaning purposes and which are reliable and eicient in practi cal operation. X l

ln the drawings which accompany and form apart of this specification and which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, Figure l represents a longitudinal section of an article constructed according to this invention; and

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views in elevation of relatively movable electrodes in which the invention is embodied.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views.

Referring particularlyto the drawings, l denotes the wall of a combustion chamber of an engine preferably of the hydrocarbon type and adapted to-be mounted on a vehicle.. The tubular metal shell or casing Bof the plug is preferably externally threaded at the lower openI portion thereof to `provide rar attachment te the said wall, and

it .may he also screw threaded at the upper part of the same for engagement with a bushing 3, the intermediate body portion of the shell being preferably enlarged and formed with a plurality of annular angular faces. f

The insulating member or core 5 which may be made of porcelain, mica, cement or similar di-electric material is partly inclosed within and partly extends above vthe shell 2 and is preferably formed with an eX- terior central shouldered portion to respectively abut a shoulder formed at the interior of the shell and to also face the inturned upper part of the bushing 3 which encircles the core, direct contact between the parts at the said opposed points being prevented by the use of suitable gaskets or packing f7 preferably comprising a fibrous material. The upper portion of the insulating member preferably extends in a vertical direction through the orifice of the bushing, and the lower part of the said member depends within the open cylindrical hamber of the shell, and throughout the said di-electric ele-v ment there entends an axial opening or longitudinal bore 6 to contain an electrode support, as in the present instance a screw 8 having a nut 9 in threaded engagement therewith at the top of the insulating member. A threaded thumb-nut l() or connecting member is mounted in threaded engageu ment with the screw 6 and is adapted to securely connect aline wire or other suitable member of an electric circuit with the screw in an electrical relation.

The lower part of the bore 6 vis ordinarily enlarged to form a chamber having a narrowed or contrapted mouth or outlet 7 at the extreme end ofthusame.

The lower openfportion of the shell 2 constitutes a stationary electrode which. being ordinarily of ring shape, as at 4, provides a plurality of sparking points. ll preferably use in connection therewith a second and movable electrode 11, which being either eX- terior of., but preferably located within the core may be designated as a core terminal, which electrode is constructed and ar'- ranged in operation to approach serati/m.

different points of the continuous conduct ing element or electrode comprising the said ring, `whereby my device constitutes amid-- tiple spark plug wherein multiple sparks may be obtained from a single conductor wire.

The movable electrode may be supported in any approved manner as, in one example, by means of arigid stem 12 terminating in an enlargement 13 constructed and arranged to rest upon and work Within a curved seat 14, preferably ot inverted-dome shape,

:formed in a sleevel which` is ordinarily in.

threaded engagement with the screw 8, the whole constituting a sort oi ball and socket joint.

By means of this arrangement or parts the electrode 11 is free to vibrate or oscillate, the said movement being caused bythe motion of the vehicle, or the pulsation of thel engine, or by both combined, whereby it constantly changes its sparking position. The

i able electrode 11 may comprise a resilient stem 16 the upper extremity or" which is preferably rigidly mounted in the sleeve 11 which is attached in threaded engagement to the screw 8. By this' construction the upper extremity et the flexible stem 16 is rigidly supported by the screw 8 while the resilience of the said stem will allow the electrode 11 to vibrate or oscillate freely, the

said electrode being preferably made of sumcient size to prevent pitting caused by the action of sparks between the electrodes.

It is well known that the maintenance of the conductivity of the electrodes is the vital and initial source of the successful operation of the spark plug. This conductivity of the electrodes is secured first, by the thorough insulation adore-led by the porcelain core and packing therefor, and second, by the swinging action of the movable electrode-restricted by its guard-which continuously changes its direction of approach to, and distance from, different points of' the stationary electrode. A

No carbon or oil is likely to collect around the terminals to interfere with the circuit as there is no socket for such matter to collect in and as the oil will drip down through the orilice 1S of the ring 4, while any soot or carbon scale that may form on the edge of the insulating guard will be thrown off by the impact of the oscillatory electrode stern therewith. l thus avert any danger ot oil resting upon the surface of the porceterasse lain core or the terminals where the spark is to be produced, and I also' provide means to maintain the conductivity of the relatively movable electrodes without interfering with the tree access of the gas to the` spark for ignition, thus doubly guarding against short circuiting the electric current and thereby impeding or destroying the spark producing properties of the plug.

This swinging action of the movable electrode and diversity of Contact thereof in the spark plug also eliminates the possibility of' the jump of a spark through the insulating core as sometimes occurs in the use of electrodes and porcelain or cement as hitherto employed, while at the same time the prevention ofthe accumulation of carbon on the edge of the latter is assured.

lt is a well known fact that the temperature of the heat caused by the spark at the terminals of the electric conductors in the ordinary spark plug is approximately 525000 Fahrenheit and that this heat has a tendency to insulate the conducting terminals and causing 'a misire in the` engine, and often causing a leak in the insulation of the spark plug conductors.

It is another well known fact that a spa rk will jump between electric conducting terminals at a point where the terminals are closest together. In a spark plug where the terminals are rigid, even if a plurality of terminals are used, there will be some one point between the terminals closer than the others, and a spark will continue to jump between these points until overheated, notwithstanding the ordinary theory is that the spark will seek a less heated point between the terminals.

It is one4 of the objects of this invention to cause the spark to constantly change its direction between the conducting terminals by the constant oscillation of the movable electrode in close proximity to the ground ter- -minal 4, thus preventing insulation by making it impossible for heat to concentrate at any one point for any length of time.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the particular use or the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art.

lVhat I claim as my invention is 1. ln a device of the class described, a stationary electrode comprising a continuous series of Contact points, a hollow dielectric element within the electrode, a movable electrode stem supported above the bottorn part of the dielectric element, and an electrode comprising a weight positioned at the lower portion of the electrodo stem to cause the latter to vibrate with equal` ease in every direction within the dielectric element whenjarred, and the weight to approach any one of the said continuous conmgmooooo oc: points, aeooring to tho infection of movement of isha spark plug.

.2. n a. ovco o the olafssdosoribod, o tonory electrodo oomprsng o, continuous serios of Contact points, o hollow dolootlo element within the oectrodm o movoblo oloclodev stem supported above tho ool tom part of the oocfrio elemon1t and on electrodo comprising' o, Wogl'lt positoglo @tithe lower portion of the oeotrocio Stom to cause the otter to vibrato Wh equal @oso in every difooton Within the doloctro element when jormd, and the Weight to opproooh any one of the Said. oominuoos oontac; pomfsi according to 'the dimoton of movmont of the spark plug, and also momo who preven the obutmont of the woigh'; with :my of the continuous Comboni: points.

3. 1n a devise of the dass described o om,

tonary electrode compl'ising o oon'simuows series of Contact poims, o, holow dooo', element Within the oootrodo, a, movable and Hexble electrodo stem supported above the bmbtom part os? the. dolootro element, and :un eectrodo comprising Woight positioned at the Iowa? portion of tho oleo trod@ stem to cause tho aohor o vbme with @quoi ease in every dire-@tion Within the dielectric element Whoo jarrooi, and. che

on. oectrodo comprising o Welgho posiionod wt be lower pozmon o the. ooofc'odo stom l element when jam'og @mi the Weight to op "p'oooh om? om@ of the @oid oon'tmou com taci; polimi:2 oooordmg to tho .fmocmon of' @lement plovonng @the obwmon. of tho Weight', with, any of continuous conaooo: ponrs.

n oazmony of the foegoog spooioa" tion do hereby the somo in. "the oisy of New York, county a; 1d Stato- 'off lfow York, this 32d daf of Moy., NM2

Witnosso @DELL fwomS RAY W1 @mommy 

